DEFENCE OF LORDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 709, 7 January 1910, Page 5

DEFENCE OF LORDS.

SELF-REFORM. A SPEECH BY LORD LANSDOWNE, ; PLEA FOR A TARIFF. By Tclegranh—Press Association—OopyrlEht " (Rec. January &, 9.15 p.m.) ;•'.■' ; London, January 6. Lord. Lansdowhe (the Unionist/Leader in the House of Lprdsi and the mover of tho amendment';deplining to .pass the Budget until ;the. judgment of '■ the - country has been obtained) delivered' an important campaign speech .at Liverpool.

Upper House's Money Powers. , ;. Lord Lansdowne protested that his opponents' cardinal 1 misrepresentation was that.the'House-of Lords had arrogated to themselves.' the right of: controlling taxation; -He cited ;the. statement of Lord' Loreburn .(Lord Chancellor) that . the , House" of' Lords had; am pie powers to deal with money Bills. : Ho (Lord Lansdowne). asked:. "\yhat;were.these ample powers if they were 'never irifconded : to -be -.exercised?" His ■ amendment for submitting, ;the 'Budget to the judgment of-, the couhtry .was. treated as if it were-oh anarchist bomb sufficient; to. wreck'evcry institution in'the' '■ ..;", ; ." ■"

■ Ministers now; proposed .a revolutionary change.in'.the, .they ;intended to'.substitute for. the : present", system',.' what .'would, virtually ; bo control' by, a single-Chamber.' He: complained'of the levity,';with which Ministers approached the... problem of. the, House 'of "Lords':and:its:future..' He quoted : Min-; isters'vague '-and indefinite titterancos on the subject;";;;;? , :: '~i : ;;'v;-'■'.■'..

;At Mercy .of : a /Chance' Majority, v.; ; The speaker : continued: ."Whatever the people l think Shout: the .Budget or the House of Lords; they will not allow, any a .free 'hand to tnrnjus oyer tp'j the .uhtempered mercy; of "a-chance majority in the 'Hbiiso of Commons and of; the Ministers; - happening, to, control .that:-; majority;-; There.-never' was a' : moment-: in-'the ..history;' of; the .'country when:' : such- :;'an - experiment; would;: be. fraught''with'-more: -danger. • :the .political pendulum- swihgs7with/alarmingi rapidity, '/we; might/ -find, ourselves,;, 1 :as: after'tho last 'election,'with a' House of : Commons ■: in v which . there ; are : over ; 800 members who/hayo/never .-.been ,i£ Parliament .".before, aid who / consequently have no' special,;acquaintance .'with public 'affairs. We. might; also/have/a, raw: Cabinet; ■'. Moreover, freedom of, discussion/in the -House of Commons'nowadays is... unprece'dentedly/ curtailed." ; : v - ,/; /\

//: Bargaining .with' the Irish/:/";:: ! Lord LansdoTOfl:added: 'Tn the' background is the /Irish-party; •'watching./and ready'tb.. sell, its.elf/:to' : '.those'''who .pay I the highest -political/price for: assistance.: Are you, .with all/these: conditions/./prepared to hand byef to; theiHbuse. of /Commons,.the "direction':"of: ; tiie .'affairs.'of ,a great /.with. ;India.;;and the/ minions ; oyerseas, ■ and:. the' questions of 'navai;-^^and military/defenoe,^^'..finance, and. all, the;:grea't 'issues/which'/'should, /be naturally' and .deliberately, dealt'' with by • .your/'ParUamentK'///-':/'/'::, ; /' :!; i" /^.

: "Lord Lansdowie.'/quo.ted '/approvingly. :the /rocommondations' of Lord Rosobery's Committee of. Peors. on .the reform of, the House-of .Lords', from:'within.: .He conl/tended /that the; .reform of:,:tie/,Lords should, be the/work: of both political par-' ties./. I); -was/a. hot 'altogether./creditabio' incident that,.'when Lord Rosebery's .Committee /waff sot. up,;tJie:Liber'al:;Pe ; ers;ro-' fused-, to '.■•participate Vor': assist 'in,;: pr<K ,m'oting;the solution'of; this/question; ■/. Rivalry;; ; ; "The recbmmondatipns ,of. Lord Rose-; beryfs/Committee; (continued/the speaker) would have /given; a/very,' compact ■ and efficient 'House'. ,i; I-.am ■ opposed', to going muoh.-further, because I/willValways believe. ' in. .power. of the •House of ,Commons,v.and ; , if : you . set .up a Houseooff f Lords foftifledbysonie 'process of and^othorwise,"placed in/ : a,: position; analogous'with;.' that of, • the.' 'House;of Commons,.that House'.of Lords', .would.:claim:,whatVit ,does. not. Now—co- ; ordina,te;power. -with;the popular. House;"; : /He;prbceeded/fe;declare,that:the Lords opposed;.the Budget/bn; its" own account, also because'thejrdid, not/ivish .the coun:try -to.be switchiid: off; tariff Preform/' and switched 'oni to another 'policy/, which they believed ;to be, suicidal. ;. •://.;

V; "Tariff-.-reform,"■•.-.•'Lprdv : '' Lansdowne added, v "is. the- only. system ..'capable' of maintaining oiir indusdiai:pre : eminence."

'U - ; 'LIBERALaEADERS;'';^V ; . V ■' : COMMONS:." ■', "'".;-'-■.:■''';,:-.;; London,., January 1 The*: Prime .'•'Minister,';: Mr. speaking at 'Brighton',-, defended tho oquithble;.valuation of land and.bthervfeatures of the -Budget,;Vnd'.' reiterated': that' theHp\ise :of. Commons: must ■ have supremacy over the ■ House 'of-Lords in taxation and finance .matters. :■- ■■■/:■] '■■ '.:■'-

;.Mr. Winston' "Churchill,'President'-of the.'Board of in ;an election'address ;to his constituents,at Dundee', said .the, quarrel; behveen/the democratic.:electorato and the one-sided'wealthy Chamber had come. at. .last,; and; tho collision 'must. involve a constitutional 'chango;?, . ■ , ; : . .V .' '.■"; Sir 'Edward: Grey;'"Foreign; Secretary, speaking at Glaton, "said. ;that.''.even a Seq'ond Chamber,- if based .bn> hereditary right,- would become increasingly :consor-' vatiye;in.coursb;6f time. Hei'added: "The. hereditary' principle, to; Liberals'is "out of date."; ■'■:■;■ ■;■;;:-- ■;..':■' :..,."■■.-"; '•',-'.'

Exchequer; in an olectioiv speech at' St. Pancr'as, London, declared, that, a 1 travellingmenageries:of-, peers ;iiiid .visited al r :mqst every 'part.of the kingdom.'■■■ They .had,.ho.;said, -never worked .so hard in their;lives. "'<:;■*'-■■'■: ■■-'■''.

RULE ISSUE; O'BRIEN VERSUS ;,REDMONDITES. ; : ::; ■'•■ " :k;,.;\vo:.- : ;'-London,.; January 5.,;■' ..Violent meetings iaro'-being held: in Ulster against -Home; Rule.." Five :.thousand persons.- assembled ,in,' one , building in Belfast, and fifteen thousand were unable to, enter; Mr, .William O'Brien has .re-entered ' politics,' and ;' is conducting: a vigorous campaign against the Redmohdites,' urging that their, tyranny should be anni-. hilated. > '.-' ''■■■ '■ <; : .'. I At a Fiscal Reform League meeting in Dublin 'complaint was made that the' Redinonditos were: refusing tariff, refrain, .to the detriment of the Irish agricul: turist. ■;';'■ ".'■■. - ,:

.MR. O'BRIEN'S -REAPPEARANCE. Mr. Win. O'Brien, who includes in his record as an Irish Nationalist nine prosecutions and imprisonment for over two years, has an' old feud with the Rcdmondites. It was believed in 1908 that a reconciliation had .been' effected, but early last year Mr.- O'Brien resigned his seat for.. Cork; City, and was succeeded by Mr, Maurice: Hcaly (Independent Nationalist), who defeated Mr; Crosbie (Nationalist). ..,-•;■- • In his'letter resigning his seat,.-Sir,

OBrien indicated that the cause was recent developments, notably.tho defec-. tion of no less than five Cork members pf Parliament," including my own colleague, in the representation of Cork City." ! The colleague referred to (Mr. Roche) had, it seems, joined the Redmondites, and it, was understood that Mr. O'Brien's letter implied a similar tondonoy on the part of four' Cork county members, Messrs. Crean, Gilhooly, Sheelian, and Barry. ■ cause of resignation was stated to be the action of the i" S «??, rty in forma ''y disapproving of his--..A1l for Ireland League." This leagno \vas intended: to inehi:le Home Kujors, Dovolutionists, Land •Reformers, nnd, in deed, nil Irishmen who, apart trom party, were willing to work for

The,retirement of Mr. O'Brien was hailed by Mr. Jolin'Redmond, Mr. T. P. 0 Conner, and other Redmondites ns the end. of.dissention in . the ranks of the Irish party.'. Mr. O'Connor declared that a nightmare had been removed, as another split would be appalling. ' He referred •to Mr. O'Brien's retirement as a sorrowful episode in the life and the career, of a great Irishman, Who'had been /responsible'.for division for the last two or-three-years.'' NahiTnlly, the Redmondites cannot be expected: to enthuse over the re-entry of Mr. O'Brien' into politics. "Sinn Fein," the organ of the/Sinn Fein party (whioh stands for a self-contained Ireland," arid against representation at Westminster), thmks that, while, not declaring himself a Sinn Feiner,! Mr. O'Brien will ;.find himself largely in sympathy with the official policy.of the Sinn Fein party.

POLITICS. SIR ROBERT. PERKS REPEATS HIS •• r ; PROTEST. : J:. ."/, v .. NONCONFORMISTS AND HOHE ;: : ; ,'.: /:EULE; ■;■:,.■:';::,"■.,.;;;- ■■'.-, ■.',:..'. London; January 5. , . The " Nonconformist \TJnionist -Association is actively promoting; anti-Home. Rule memorials. ': - ';..■ .'.',:■ :' .'■ Sir;Robert.Perks..(Liberal .M.P.. for: an.anti-land: taxer,.and.a leading member. of .the;..Wesleyan .Church) protests against' Wesleyaris.. subordinating their Parliamentary action to the methods of ;ti.o Free Church' Federations, "which, ;he says, are-, inspired by; ministers who. are brilliant preachers,' but bad political guides.-..: :., -V-' ..•" ■ -.'■ ■_.';■, ':■]';.

"BENEFACTOR OF THE UNIVERSE." CHANCELLOR'S NEW"'TITLE. Madrid, January 5. The Spanish Republican and Social Democratic';party, at Corunna,- in, -the north Vbf. Spain, is : sending'greetings, to Mr.-Lloyd-George; (Chancellor of .the Ex:.chequor(,:'and proclaiming him the benefactor'of; the universe.', i-':! ;-.';'',■/:■ .';'./ ', : [This, is not the first .time that' Continental Socialists have accorded Mr. LloydGeorge ;soihe embarrassing applause.', A German; Socialist.. paper .recently referred admiringly -to him as i"the Red Flag Chancellor."] ...;-; ;-■■■.• v,.

/,///;;/OUT AGE PENSIONS/,;;:' ; /'-//. •'!.' i: .- '■'' ..'.:.,'. 'London, January. s;i:' '/ At-the instance,of Mr. Rowland Hunt, Unionist.momber'for/.Ludlow, /the/Post Office has.; issued a circular '■. assuring old 1 ago, ponsioners. of '.the' security 'of .their pensions; :M;,7:.'.p/-''':' : ''^:\> : V'::v'h\\ l :v7:

: [The above is. another' ■ contribution to the,;Ure-Balfour: controversy;'.-Mr.-Uro, Lord.Advocate for Scotland, is.reported to have! said, 1 dealing .with the revonue.-a's-pect"of tariff reform, that the.old people hod ground; for 'doubting'whether such a;system would ho able to provide money for their, pensions; ,;Mr,':Ure's , utterances on',,the .point' aro.'.yariously reported, l and, have'been, criticised as .holding out an unjustifiable .suggestion.'' :Unionist' papers fiercely denounced,Mr; Ure's •remarks''as : misrepresentation',] I;;/.:;',;,;,.;,; / ■,-,.;;..